Aunty Lee's Delights

July 8, 2013
At the start of the engaging first Singaporean mystery from Yu (Miss Moorthy Investigates), a body washes up on the resort island of Sentosa. The news of this grisly discovery catches the attention of respectable widow Rosie “Aunty” Lee, who is about to host a dinner party at her restaurant, Aunty Lee’s Delights. Meanwhile, the wife of Aunty Lee’s stepson receives a text message on her phone from the phone of one of the dinner guests, Laura Kwee: “Sorry not feeling well, can’t make it tonight.” Later, two police officers arrive at Aunty Lee’s to report that the body on the beach has been identified as Laura’s, and that it was probably in the water for at least three days. Aided by her equally endearing maid, Nina Balignasay, the perceptive Aunty Lee, who uses her Singaporean home cooking to put people at ease, sets out to solve the case. Fans of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series will find a lot to like. Agent: Priya Doraswamy, Lotus Lane Literary.

August 15, 2013
She looks like a sweet little old lady, but she probes like a pit bull. The first body that washes up on Singapore's Sentosa Beach sets Aunty Lee's detective antennae quivering. Owner of the small cafe that bears her name, she's already notorious throughout the industry for exposing fraud among local food suppliers. Aunty Lee remembers that this beach used to be called Pulau Blakang Mati, the "Island of Death." True to form, she speculates all day about the corpse while preparing for an evening dinner party at the cafe, a mix of business and pleasure. Her stepson, Mark, and his pretentious wife, Selina, will be in attendance, along with a handful of others. Strangely, Mark and Selina's friend Laura Kwee, slated to help with wine and collecting money, fails to attend or even call. Another expected guest, Laura's friend Marianne, is also a no-show. The party is still plenty lively, with a colorful guest list. Plump Lucy Cunningham and her husband, Frank, are excited to have an authentic Shanghai experience; former flight attendant Cherril Peters is excited to have left husband Mycroft at home. Not long after, police arrive to tell Aunty Lee that Laura's body was the one found on the beach. When it is followed by a second corpse believed to be Marianne's, Aunty Lee springs into full investigative mode, often outshining the frumpy police. This delightfully anachronistic series debut from playwright and occasional novelist Yu (Miss Moorthy Investigates, 2012, etc.) boasts buoyant prose and a colorful cast, led by the lovably unstoppable sleuth herself.

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Starred review from September 1, 2013

Widowed Aunty Lee has two passions: the news and food. Her cafe is a popular Singapore institution, and she graciously supports her stepson Mark's vintner aspirations by hosting tasting dinners with ticketed guests, including some Aussie tourists. But Mark's scheming wife is not to be trusted, nor perhaps Laura, his hired assistant. When Laura doesn't show up to work the latest dinner, Aunty suspects Laura might be the unidentified dead woman found on the beach (it's on all the local news channels). When her hunch is confirmed, Aunty moves into full-on amateur sleuth mode, dragging her loyal assistant Nina into the investigation. Thankfully, Salim Mawar, the lead detective on the case, finds Aunty and Nina irresistible--and startlingly prescient. Then, when a mysterious stranger arrives from the United States, looking for Laura, the killer becomes more desperate. VERDICT Using a slightly fussy and gossipy tone, Yu has created a winning traditional-style series that's sure to go over big with fans of Tarquin Hall, Anne Zouroudi, and Alexander McCall Smith. Her protagonist, a Singaporean Miss Marple, is marvelous.

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